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Wednesday, April 29, 2015

It has been quite a week already. I guess being a sack of potatoes on Saturday was the rest I needed to get all caught up and on top of my stuff this week. It's nice and cool at night so we're able to do fun afternoon and evening stuff like Dog Park with Ficus and a pool party with some of Nova's classmates on their early dismissal day. Plus we're party planning and I'll be working a ton this weekend, so it is a relief to have control of my inbox even if I respond to at least a few emails a day with AYFKM?! (in my head, of course). Things are good. I'm not sure if I've shared the new love of our lives outside of Facebook, so here's our big baby.

When I started updating this list, I figured there would be a few new shows and maybe the addition of some openers on existing shows, but I really had no idea just how many shows we've added the past couple weeks! There are so many good ones and I know you all don't like a lecture, but one of the reasons good shows skip San Diego is because there's not enough advance interest. Sure, you sell out Ms Mr in no time flat, but when we add shows like A.A. Bondy, Christopher Owens, Surfer Blood, Joseph Arthur, Fool's Gold and more, the agents see how fast tickets get scooped up (or don't) and it definitely affects who they send down here to brave our tepid market. Stop waiting for something better to come along and make plans to see some shows. And consider this your warning that The Mowgli's and Two Gallants are almost sold out. Get your tickets while you still can. All listings after the jump.

Monday, April 27, 2015

I'm a little embarrassed at what a hermit I was this weekend, but since my computer and phone were both fixed last week, it meant I had a lot of work to catch up on. This week is going to be a good one- The Decemberists, Matt & Kim, and Tennis, plus Nova's Birthday Party, a restaurant grand opening and some other stuff to look forward to. Monday and Tuesday archives are after the jump.

Friday, April 24, 2015

Matt Pond PA plays the Casbah tonight as part of his 10 year Anniversary tour for his album “Several Arrows Later.”

When looking back at Matt Pond PA’s discography, I was surprised the prolific musician composed an LP every year from 2000 to 2007; mostly since I wish he toured every year to celebrate each of those albums. He did that last year with my favorite album, "Emblems", at the Soda Bar. Despite a frustratingly chatty crowd, the band played each song from that album with nuance and warmth that is borne from the years playing them. "Several Arrows Later", released in 2005, is a similarly beloved album and was the fifth (!) of the seven albums he eventually released in that span. Years as a touring artist wears down even the most energetic of acts, but leave it to the quieter indie rock of Matt Pond PA to continue to fill a club with exuberant melodies night after night. It doesn’t seem like his quiver will ever run out of arrows.

Go see Matt Pond PA now at the Casbah, 21+, tickets are $14 at the door. Young Buffalo and Shawn Alpay are opening (opened?).

Sorry, sorry, sorry. I meant to update these earlier today but the day got away from me. The good news is that I got my mobile device fixed, and after getting my laptop fixed on Wednesday, I'm in good shape to catch up with some junk that has gotten away from me. This weekend is going to be great, rain or shine. I'm about to head to the Ken Club for the night but lots of fun stuff going on all over town so don't hermit up this weekend.

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Last week was insane at The Observatory North Park! Father John Misty was the highlight of the week for me, but Belle & Sebastian were pretty amazing, too. I loved RAC, St Lucia have grown since their show at the Casbah, and Toro y Moi was a lot of fun, too. I didn't make it to Clean Bandit because of my Rocky Votolato show, and I missed Marina & The Diamonds because I was working at the Irenic, but there were kids lined up all day long, so I can only imagine how much love was in the room.

As you may or may not know, it wasn't exactly a love fest when The Observatory took over The North Park Theatre. The neighborhood had complaints of increased noise, loitering, litter, public drinking, intoxication and such. Since then, the owners and management have worked really hard to be good neighbors. Start times for all ages shows conform to curfew standards. Security has been increased including two Off Duty Officers at every show. After every show, security goes out to the neighborhoods to sweep and pick up garbage. The Observatory & West Coast Tavern make sure that city trash receptacles are emptied. Sound proofing has been increased in the building. Last night, after a presentation at The North Park Planning Group, there was a different tide, as residents and neighboring business boasted about what a benefit the venue is to the community, how they've done so great addressing the concerns of the neighborhood which was a much different tune than just a couple months ago. It was a positive night and hopefully it means that things continue to get better at The Observatory North Park.

Following a couple years at the Oceanside Pier with the Sandy Parts Festival, FM 94/9 has gone Dirty with this year's concert at the Lakeside Rodeo. For anyone who doesn't know, FM 94/9 is a sister station with KSON and KIFM, so it would follow that since KSON's Countryfest is at the same location a few weeks prior, it's possible that this is a package deal with lower overhead than the pier which allows for such awesome bands at such a low price ($18 if you missed out on the $9.49 tickets). I'm sorry I'm a couple days late on this...you know, life and all...

Monday, April 20, 2015

It was a pretty great weekend. The Belle & Sebastian show was great as was the rest of that night. I tried to spend the weekend catching up on work because with my phone down, email just seems to back up. I also worked at the Irenic on Saturday for The Silent Comedy show and it was really great to see so many friends come out. Sunday was pretty chill and I spent some time with family and watching my nieces play soccer. This week seems a little more mellow now that Coachella has wrapped, but there are still plenty of reasons to get out of the house. This weekend is Artwalk and Adams Avenue Unplugged which feels like the official kickoff to summer street fair season. Don't forget that we added a second Future Islands show at the Observatory SD on 9/22 and this one is all ages. Tickets are on sale today at 10am. Monday through Thursday archives are after the jump.

Saturday, April 18, 2015

Last night was such an awesome night. I strong-armed Darren into skipping work and hanging out with me and it ended up being pretty epic. We started at the Belle & Sebastian show, followed by The Cribs at the Casbah, then finished at Whistle Stop for the Belle & Sebastian DJ sets, then late night grub from Rolberto's. Lyft sure came in handy. Andrew kindly provided set lists.

Friday, April 17, 2015

I'm having a frustrating day. Instead of going into a whiny rant, I'm just going to post some photos I took this week when we took the girls to La Jolla Cove. It is especially beautiful right now, and pupping season runs through May. Casa Beach is closed and that massive Lifeguard tower is being built, so you can't go on the seawall at Casa Beach, so this is a little further up, by Scripps Park. There is also construction at the top of Scripps Park, but you can still pass the bathrooms to access the stairs down to the beach. I absolutely love the seals and sea lions and even the seabirds, so I'll say that I'm a big supporter of giving these animals space, and it's the law, though in the video clip about a kid who was bitten in the face a few weeks ago the lifeguard says 25 meters, which is pretty much the entire span of the beach. I was appalled at people getting within a foot or two of the animals and especially the mom who thought it was cute when her toddler was petting a sea lion. The crossing guard in me couldn't help yelling at a woman "you're too close!" when she went in for a selfie with the sea lion laying in the sand and his bark was captured when she was too close.

My favorite picture of the day. These guys were body surfing to the shore.

Here's another installment of all things Casbah. A second show for Future Islands has been added at The Observatory- this one all ages- and it goes on sale Monday. Casbah also has new shows with Ron Sexsmith, Fool's Gold, Orgone, and many more. Full list of everything on the books can be found below.

Thursday, April 16, 2015

I knew this week was going to be busy, but I didn't expect to see and do so much this week. Monday was great working for St. Lucia and that show was pretty awesome- I dug RAC a lot more than I expected. On Tuesday, after an afternoon with Nova and my nieces at La Jolla Cove, I got to shoot the Father John Misty show, then went to Drive Like Jehu after. Huge thanks to Josh Kmak for the lift home when my phone was non functional. On Wednesday, I worked door at the Irenic and it was great catching up with AJ from Saint Motel and Lights had some pretty rabid fans. From there, Darren and I went for a quick bevvie at Seven Grand, caught the end of Toro y Moi at the Observatory, and then went to see Benjamin Booker at the Casbah, finishing up the night at Bar Pink and a 2 am bike ride home. Today looks like an after school pool party with the kids, then an intimate house show with Rocky Votolato. There's so much going on this weekend, including the CityBeat Festival of Beers, so go out and get it this weekend. Thursday through Sunday archives are after the jump.

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

I was (and still am) having some phone issues, so I couldn't really get my photos out last night. Needless to say, I'd been looking forward to Father John Misty at the Observatory North Park since the very first email confirmation for the show- which was maybe back in December? even though we couldn't announce it until much later. The show was incredible, especially "The Night Josh Tillman Came To Our Apt." and "Bored In The USA"- with the audience laugh-tracking on cue.

The backdrop of the stage was a massive "No Photography" neon sign and to show his love for photogs, the first three songs were (seemingly) deliberately backlit with horrific red or blue lighting and an aggressive fog machine. I would guess that I wasn't the only one who kept snapping pics from around the room after the first three songs, but I spent the majority of the show just taking it all in.

Monday, April 13, 2015

My, oh my it is going to be a busy week! I'm selling merch for St. Lucia on Monday, shooting Father John Misty on Tuesday, working the door on Wednesday for Lights, going to a living room with Rocky Votolato on Thursday, shooting Belle & Sebastian on Friday, and working the door at the Irenic for The Silent Comedy on Saturday. If you watched Coachella this weekend on Youtube, you know that some amazing acts are rolling through town this week so don't miss out. Many of the shows are already sold out, but for those that are not, grab your tickets in advance. FYI, the Tech N9ne show that was double booked at the Observatory is moved to Porter's Pub. Monday through Wednesday archives are after the jump.

Friday, April 10, 2015

Here's the update for all The Observatory shows coming up. Next week is going to be crazy busy, with a lot of sold out shows, so be sure to arrive early to account for lines at will call and security screening. There are no cameras allowed at any of the shows without a photo pass, so leave them at home.

Nova's Spring Break has come to an end. It was a fun week- lots of tree climbing and park time and archery and skating and farmer's market and dinners with my family and on and on, I only wish I wasn't so slaughtered with work this week to partake in more of the fun. I did hit a few shows this week- Drive Like Jehu, Kimbra, and The Preatures- and this weekend will be a busy one since I'm working at the Irenic tonight, going to see It's Gonna Blow! at midnight, plus a whole bunch of stuff this weekend, like the Balboa Park Celebration, and of course, #Couchella. Have a great weekend, y'all. Saturday and Sunday listings are after the jump.

Thursday, April 09, 2015

If you've been following this site for any amount of time, you know that my first three months of the year are always crazy as I try to lock in the lineup for the Festival of Arts in North Park. Well, after listening to nearly 100 music submissions and countless texts and emails from artists, our lineups are finally locked in! You can read all about it here.

These lineups and set times are subject to change, but for the most part, this is what you can expect to see on May 16. In addition to these three stages, there is a Dance Stage, a Kids Stage, and a Ray Street Acoustic Stage.

Monday, April 06, 2015

I have to say it was a bit of a crazy weekend. My parents celebrated their 45th Anniversary so we had a nice family dinner on Saturday, but on Friday my sister's apartment complex burned (her unit was thankfully spared, but it is presently uninhabitable), and on Saturday my sister-in-law was rear ended by a girl who was texting and driving. I had some fun at the Rebecca Jade show on Friday at Whistle Stop and Sweet Valley on Saturday at The Hideout. Nova has another week of spring break this week, so hopefully we can make the most of it and do some fun stuff. There are a ton of good shows this week, and perhaps we'll bust out the canoe for Interpol, too. We'll see how that goes. Monday through Thursday archives are after the jump.

Friday, April 03, 2015

April is insane for the Casbah and Tim Mays, who has shows booked all over town before, between, and after Coachella. This is the current list of all the great stuff coming to town. Don't forget this weekend is another Vinyl Junkies Record Swap, so come down, grab some new (old) vinyl, and have some afternoon Tecate with us.

Here's the update for all The Observatory shows coming up. Some of the age restrictions and door times have changed slightly, so always check the website day of show to make sure you get there on time. Also, be sure to account for security screening and will call lines. All shows and ticket links listed below. Don't forget that tickets for Future Islands go on sale Monday, and they've already sold quite a few tickets with the AmEx presale, so don't wait around to get tickets or they'll be gone.

We didn't quite get as much time with Nova this first week of spring break as planned, but we made the best of it. We had an awesome day at the beach on Tuesday with some of her classmates and my nieces, and today we spent the afternoon by the pool of Harrah's SoCal Resort, where my parents are having a staycation to celebrate their 45th Anniversary. If you recall, my dad was very near death at Christmas, so that this weekend is so awesome for them is no small miracle of science and medicine. Darren and I also had some fun at Punch Brothers on Wednesday night, and TV On The Radio was almost a disappointment due to a photo pass snafu, but I made the best of it, hung out with my dear friend Mike Down, and after the show we hung out with his body Jaleel of TVoTR. So no complaints. This weekend should be a great one with family and friends and plenty of cool shows to keep you entertained. Saturday and Sunday listings are after the jump.